I haven't bothered to see if anyone has published a study about this but based on my experience machines are bad news for anyone to use exclusively. You don't train the supporting muscles during the movements and it can cause injury later when you do something outside the "track"you trained up. Some do allow some movement but even the best dont allow enough. That said there are some that are important like leg press and hack squats for example but doing things like bench on machines will mess you up unless you are one of those that just come in and fart around twice a week.

Like most things to do with fitness opinions vary but you don't see bodybuilders or power lifters on machines unless the are isolating something on purpose.

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I used free weights exclusively prior to PF, as I had a gym at home, but it's currently in a shipping container waiting for us to tell them where to drop it. So, a gym it is.

PF has some free weights, and I use them for some things, but it's limited. It's OK. I'll get through this - moving to some free weights for some things, and upping reps on others. I only have maybe 3 more months of this to get through, max.

Winter Garden FL

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Machines BAD, Free weights GOOD. Pump you UP!

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VA: if you've maxed out the pre-fab *and* rack n bar free lift systems, in what I privately call the man cave corner, you could always ask one of the PF "trainers" (*cough*) to put a program together for you. or, ask some guy whose arms you think are great for a new twist.